Secret research deepens Liberal divisions over climate change
The results of secret research focus groups, conducted by the federal government nationally in November, reveal climate change is a key concern among voters after the devastating bushfire season across the country.
NSW
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Secret Liberal Party research confirming a rise in awareness about climate change has fuelled bitter divisions within the party over how to tackle the issue.
The focus group research was conducted nationally in November, as the bushfire emergency began to take hold.
A senior Liberal source said the NSW party office was planning to “test” the research in the field after Australia Day, as the Prime Minister’s focus on hazard reduction was labelled a deliberate distraction.
Left-wing Liberal MPs have seized on the research as a means to force a policy shift on carbon emissions, but conservatives are interpreting the result as voters simply responding to increased coverage of climate change in the media.
“The research showed bushfires were very much front of mind for people, but not everyone was talking about bushfires the same way,” a party source told The Sunday Telegraph.
“People were talking about how bushfires could impact them, the economy and jobs.”
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As for climate change, the source said the research showed that voters had noticed people were talking about climate change “a lot more in the media”.
Prior to the research being undertaken, bushfires on the NSW north coast had claimed the lives of two people while destroying almost 50 homes.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the time warned of a deadly season with the fatalities “a taste of what’s ahead” this summer, while Greens MPs were already blaming climate change.
A month after the research was undertaken, Environment Minister Matt Kean publicly declared his views that climate change had a role to play in the bushfires.
Another senior left-wing Liberal source said the “hazard reduction mantra” being pushed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals leader John Barilaro, was “political strategy” to divert attention away from “the climate change dilemma”.
A more aggressive hazard reduction regime involving the mechanical removal and burning of forests to reduce fuel loads has been raised as a solution to preventing bushfires after every major fire event, despite experts warning the practice would not stop blazes on extreme fire days.
Both the NSW Rural Fire Service and National Parks have outlined the challenges in conducting safe burns in an ever-shrinking window while taking in to account air quality concerns.
"Our biggest challenge with hazard reduction is the weather and the windows available to do it safely and effectively.†https://t.co/MjFfrZhNve
— Mark Speakman (@MarkSpeakman) January 22, 2020
While the majority of Cabinet have remained silent, a tweet by Attorney-General Mark Speakman quoting NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on the challenging in conducting hazard burns is being interpreted by some as a dig at his Nationals and right-wing counterparts.
“2020 is going to be the year of the climate war,” another Liberal said.
Originally published as Secret research deepens Liberal divisions over climate change